Had a wonderful time in Seattle for the American Library Association 2019 midwinter meeting. Not only is Seattle such a fun city, the Penguin-Random House staff took such good care of us (the wonderful Kelly Coyle-Crivelli and Sydney Czech, above) and it was so much fun sharing Lost Roses with librarians. But the highlight was sitting alongside my fellow PRH authors: Jayson Greene, Steven Rowley (above) and Blake Crouch (sadly, Chuck Wendig was sick and couldn’t make it.) It was fascinating listening to them share the stories of their books—all coming soon. I’ve included a little info about their books below. All sure to be incredible reads.

RECURSION by Blake Crouch    Pub date June 11   “All across the country, people are waking up to lives different from the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or something more sinister?”  Cant wait to dig into this mind-bending thriller I know will keep me up nights turning pages.

‘THE EDITOR by Steven Rowley    Pub date April 2nd.  “From the bestselling author of the fabulous Lily and the Octopus comes a novel about a struggling writer who gets his big break, with a little help from the most famous woman in America.” Hearing the charming and relentlessly funny Steven Rowley share anecdotes about this novel about Jackie O. sent it straight to the top of my TBR pile.

ONCE MORE WE SEE STARS by Jayson Greene   Pub date May 14   Cheryl Strayed’s lovely quote says it best about this exquisite debut novel:  “A gripping and beautiful book about the power of love and loss in the face of unimaginable loss.” In one sitting I finished this beautifully written account of two parents’ devastating loss and the hope it ultimately ushers in.  So uplifting and inspiring.

Caroline Ferriday’s archives are filled with interesting bits of history, but this is one of my favorites. It may just be a standard thank you letter, but it’s beautifully written, heartfelt and sincere. I especially love the phrase “dungeon of despair,” and the fact it is addressed to Ms. Ferriday. And I love looking at that signature, too. Not written in some a computer-generated hand, but by Dr. King himself.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King’s life this holiday it’s comforting and inspiring to revisit this connection between these two incredible people, however small. Thank you to Peg Shimer and Dorothy Ambruso of the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Gardens for making this letter available to me, two of the wonderful people at Connecticut Landmarks dedicated to keeping Caroline’s legacy alive.

Once I finished writing Lost Roses, the prequel to Lilac Girls, the first thing I did was ask the wonderful illustrator Holly Hollon to create another incredible map. Just as she did for Lilac Girls, she made the book come alive, this time from Russian former aristocrat Sofya Streshnayva’s point of view, Caroline Ferriday’s Mother Eliza’s best friend. It focuses on Sofya’s world after she is forced to leave Russia, when she seeks refuge in Paris. The map gives a few clues about the plot of book #2 and highlights some of the book’s scenes around Paris, including the infamous Rue de Chabanais brothel, my all-time favorite French candy store and Eliza Ferriday’s Paris apartment. I hope you enjoy this little taste of spring in January.

My publicist Melanie DeNardo and the rest of Team Roses at Random House have worked so hard on this incredible book tour for my Lilac Girls prequel, Lost Roses. I can’t wait to get on the road this spring and come see everyone. Hopefully a city near you is on the list, but if not I love Skyping with book groups!